


Fire and Gold

by colonelpancake04



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-17
Updated: 2015-09-17
Packaged: 2018-04-21 07:11:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4819985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colonelpancake04/pseuds/colonelpancake04
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Skye has two goals for this season: win the league championship and get closer to earning a spot on the national team.  A new addition to her tightknit team changes everything.</p><p>Or the soccer AU that no one asked for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fire and Gold

**Author's Note:**

> Written for AOS Big Bang. Major props to colbaltsiren on tumblr for creating the art for this fic! It can be found at http://cobaltsiren.tumblr.com/image/129312377653 and http://8tracks.com/cobaltsiren/meet-me-halfway
> 
> I've taken some major liberties with the soccer league in this fic, so be aware of that. I know it's not completely accurate. That being said, enjoy!

 

“We’re what, now?”  Skye squints in disbelief at her teammate.

“Yeah.  Supposedly she’ll be at the next practice.”

Skye shakes her head at the goalkeeper, struggling to keep up with all the new information being thrown at her.  “And just where did you hear this, Morse?”

“Overheard Coulson telling May.”  Bobbi shrugs and hoists her gym bag over her shoulder.  “You know how it is.  She always knows everything before the rest of us.”

“She _is_ team captain, you know.”

Bobbi shoots her a pointed look.  “You try telling me that she and Coulson haven’t gotten freaky in the sheets at least once.  Have you seen the way they look at each other?”

Rolling her eyes, Skye scoffs and picks up her soccer ball from the bench, holding it loosely at her hip.  “Gross.  I really don’t want to think about that.”

“You know it’s true,” Bobbi singsongs, smirking at Skye’s feigned gagging.  “Anyway, I overheard them talking and you know May’s getting close to retiring.  Hand and Hartley, too.  Coulson was saying that he’s getting some new blood in for the season.  There’s still a spot open on the roster and he’s found an unsigned player he thinks will fit the bill.”

“Why’s she unsigned?  Is that not a red flag?”

“Dunno.  Probably let her contract run out or something so it’d be easier for her to get onto a team in the U.S.”

Skye pauses on her way out the locker room door.  “Wait, she’s not American?”

“Nope.  She’s from one of the European leagues.”

“Oh.”

Bobbi gives Skye an odd look.  “You got something against foreigners?  You do realize you’ve got a native Russian on the back line with you, right?”

“Shut up.  Maximoff is awesome.”  Skye sinks into the driver’s seat of her car and waits for Bobbi to get in before starting up the engine.  “I just… We meshed so well as a team last season and we’ve started off strong in training this year and now we’re adding in a new person and everything is going to change.”

“Skye, you _do_ want to make the national team eventually, right?  You’re going to have to get used to playing with new girls.  I mean I’ll obviously be there, but you’ll need to make nice with the others.”

Skye rolls her eyes at Bobbi’s ego.  Typical keeper.  “I know, I know.  It’s just my teams have always been the family I never had.  You guys are my home.  Playing soccer is the only way I ever felt like I belonged growing up.”  She sighs as she pulls up to a stop light.  “I know I’m probably being stupid and she’ll probably be awesome and make me feel like an asshole for doubting her.”

Bobbi chuckles.  “Probably because you _are_ an asshole.”

“Shut up.”

They arrive back at their shared apartment still bickering playfully.  Bobbi can ease Skye’s worries like no one else can.  She is the sister Skye never had growing up but always wanted.  She and Bobbi have played together since their days at USC and the Morse family has all but adopted Skye into their close-knit clan.

For the first time in her life, Skye feels like she has a home.  It’s certainly not perfect, and honestly, Skye’s surprised she and Bobbi haven’t killed each other yet, but it’s a home nonetheless.  She couldn’t be happier.

 

Skye’s just finished lacing up her cleats when Coulson and May enter the locker room with an unfamiliar woman following them.  She is small timid looking and Skye would think her a trainer were it not for the Los Angeles Shield warm ups she is wearing.  She’s beautiful, Skye will give her that much, but she does not look like any soccer player Skye’s ever come across.

The other girls finally take notice of the new presence and gather around their coach and team captain.

“Ladies, I know there have been rumors of us acquiring a new player.  Now, while I would rather you come to myself or May instead of gossiping amongst yourselves,” he stares down Skye and Bobbi who have the good sense to blush and look away, “the rumor mill was actually accurate this time around.” 

He places his hand on the new arrival’s shoulder and guides her forward so she is standing in front of the group.  She looks nervous, Skye thinks.  The girl is avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room and is instead looking down at her feet.  Skye knows then that there is no way this girl is a forward, as she and Bobbi had speculated, and even if she is, she’ll be spending most of her time on the bench.

“This is Jemma Simmons.”  Coulson’s voice breaks her from her observations.  “She’s coming to us for the season from the Women’s Super League in England.  She’ll be practicing and playing with us from this point forward, so I expect you all to make her feel at home.”  He turns to Simmons.  “Now, we’re going to be using you in the front, so you’ll be with May, Raina and the other forwards for warm ups.”

The new girl nods and waves nervously at her new teammates before following May out the door that leads to the pitch.  Skye won’t admit it out loud, but she’s kind of looking forward to seeing the new girl choke.

 

Jemma is a far better player than anybody expected.  She’s fast, she’s smart, and she’s got a killer left foot.  Even Bobbi is having trouble keeping her shots out of the back of the net and she’s arguably the best keeper in the league.  By the end of practice, May is _smiling_.  If that in itself isn’t terrifying enough, she actually throws an arm over Jemma’s shoulders and leads her off the pitch, chatting amicably about a few combo plays she’d like to introduce now that the team has another strong forward.

“Dude, even The Calvary is impressed.  I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen her smile in person.  It’s like watching a dog walk on its hind legs.”

Bobbi bounces the soccer ball she’s holding off the turf a few times before balancing it against her hip and walking with Skye towards the locker room.  “She’s pretty good.  She made the back line look like a bunch of idiots.”

Skye shoves Bobbi and laughs when the goalkeeper stumbles before regaining her balance.  “You ass!  It’s my back line that keeps you from having to save goals for 90 minutes straight.”

Grinning, Bobbi slings an arm across Skye’s shoulders and draws her close.  “Relax, I’m kidding.  You guys actually looked good today.  You and Maximoff have a great connection and Hill and Hartley are machines.  Simmons is just freaky fast and since she’s small it’s easier for her to find holes.  The other teams aren’t going to know what hit them.”

And just like that, the Shield’s prospects for making playoffs already look brighter.

“We’re gonna crush this season.”

 

The season opener goes better than anyone could have expected.  The Shield is still recovering from their last place finish the previous season and they’re up against first place finishers, the Las Vegas Thunderbolts.

They’re a strong team, by far more organized than the Shield, but Skye’s team is scrappy and they refuse to go down without a fight.  Bobbi is forced to make a couple of flying saves before Skye and the back line begin to communicate well enough to stop the opposing team from entering the box surrounding the goal.  Once they’re able to shut down the Thunderbolts’ offence, however, the Shield is suddenly dominating possession of the ball.

Skye is able to kick the ball away from the feet of her opponent and dribbles it up the pitch until she is able to send it rolling towards Akela who rockets it straight to Simmons.  The girl is completely open and Skye wonders if the other team has underestimated her the same way Skye did.  Either way, it is a fatal error on the opposing defenders’ part because Jemma easily slips the ball between the feet of the closest player in the box before sending it sailing past the diving goalkeeper and into the back of the net.  And just like that, the Shield is suddenly beating the number one team in the league.

Jemma jumps into Akela’s arms, wrapping her legs around the midfielder’s waist.  Skye joins the other rest of the team as they surround the girls in a suffocating group hug. 

 

 

Jemma Simmons is ripped. Skye doesn’t realize this until she sees the other woman in the shower following their first match.  She knew, logically, that Jemma was fit.  There was no way she could run up and down the length of the pitch for 90 minutes if she weren’t.  This knowledge does not, in any way, prepare her for the sight of Jemma’s abs under the steaming spray.

Skye stands there, in the doorway of the team showers, like a creep for an embarrassing amount of time.  She knows she needs to look away, to stop staring at her teammate like she’s a cut of meat, but she just can’t seem to tear her eyes away from the clearly defined v at the base of Jemma’s hips and her back dimples.  Oh god, Jemma has back dimples.  Skye really wants to taste them.

Before she can continue on that particular train of thought, Skye is shoved from behind by a disgruntled Bobbi who is juggling her shower caddy whilst shooting Skye a lecherous smirk.  Knowing she’s been caught, Skye fights back a burning blush and ducks her head as she heads to the far shower head far, far away from Jemma and her oh so tempting body.

 

Skye is confused by her reaction to seeing Jemma in all her glory.  Sure, she is a proud, card carrying member of the muff divers club, but she literally sees 20 naked women every day and she’s never wanted to jump them.  Except maybe Natasha. But, really, who doesn’t want a piece of that?

There’s just something about Jemma, though. Skye can’t get the other woman out of her mind. It’s really starting to become a problem.  Skye can’t afford distractions at practice and that’s what Jemma is. A sexy, muscular, freakishly talented distraction. At least Jemma is still playing well. Skye is playing like a child.

As beautiful as Jemma’s face is when she smiles, it doesn’t stop Skye from wanting to punch her in it every time the forward breaks through Skye’s back line.  Jemma will just smirk at Skye like she knows that Skye has doubted her from the beginning.  Like she feels she needs to prove herself to Skye and Skye alone.

It’s really inconvenient.

 

 

Skye is in a rut.  She can’t seem to keep the ball away from the penalty zone, every pass or cross she makes seems to get picked off, and she feels distracted and unfocused during matches.  She has been on the bench the past two games which is highly unusual as she normally starts or is, at the very least, subbed in before the end of the match. 

Not playing is killing Skye.  She can literally feel her national team hopes dying by the minute.  She’s not getting any younger and every second spent not playing is a second that she could be using to impress the national team coaching staff.

She tries to think of anything that has changed from last season to the present and all she can come up with is Jemma.  Deep down, Skye knows Jemma is not at fault for her poor performance as of late.  Deep down, Skye knows she should be able to ignore the distraction of the flexing of Jemma’s calves when she’s bending over to retrieve the ball for a corner kick.  Deep down, Skye knows she’s fucked.

She laments her sorrows to Bobbi and Lance, Bobbi’s on again boyfriend and Avengers forward, as they work on cooking dinner.  Obviously, she leaves out the bits about Jemma because she really doesn’t feel like being laughed out the front door.  Lance chuckles and wraps an arm around her shoulders, ushering her over the table and sitting her down.

“Let’s have us a chat, sweetheart.”

Bobbi rolls her eyes as she stirs chopped vegetables on the stove.  “Don’t listen to a thing he says, Skye.  He’s an idiot.”

“An idiot that you’re shagging,” Lance retorts before turning his attention back to Skye.  “Now, I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to answer as honestly as possible without getting defensive.”

“Okay…” Skye eyes him warily, already not liking where this conversation is going.

“When did you last have sex?”

Skye chokes on her own saliva.  “What does that have to do with anything?!”

Lance shrugs like the answer is obvious.  “It has everything to do with everything.  Now tell Dr. Hunter what he needs to know.”

Sighing because there’s no way he’s going to let this go, Skye rolls her eyes.  “It’s been a while.”  At Lance’s pointed look, she huffs.  “Fine.  Almost a year.”

Lance whistles lowly.

“Jesus.  No wonder you’re playing like shit,” Bobbi chimes in from the kitchen.

“Thanks guys.  I’m really feeling great about myself now,” Skye drawls sarcastically as she picks at a string on her shorts.

“Any reason it’s been so long?”  Hunter studies her from across the table and Skye knows she’s not getting out of this without an explanation.

“Ugh.” Skye really, _really_ doesn’t want to talk about this.  “I don’t know.  I’ve just been busy and I haven’t had much time to get out.  That’s all.”

“And who was the last girl you knocked boots with?”

“Excuse me!  That shit’s personal!”

“It was her ex,” Bobbi answers as she brings a stack of paper plates and a steaming bowl of stir-fry to the table.

“Oh, really?  I thought you’d have rebounded from that by now.  What was her name again?  Carol?  Karen?”

“Kara,” Bobbi supplies as she dishes up the food.

“Ah, yes, Kara.  She was a bitch.”

“Total skank.”

Skye just looks between her two friends with her mouth hanging open.  “Really, guys?  It’s been a year.  Let’s move on.”

“That’s what we’re telling you!” Lance exclaims.  “Go to a bar.  Have a one night stand.  It’ll do wonders for your game.  You need to let your lady bits breathe.  You’re smothering them.”

“And how does your girlfriend feel about you talking about her roommate’s lady bits in front of her?”

“Eh,” Bobbi shrugs.  “It’s kind of hot actually.”

Skye rolls her eyes.  “You two are disgusting.”

“But you’re coming out with us tonight anyway, right?” Lance asks in his disturbingly charming manner.  “We’ll find you a nice lady to take home.”

Skye can’t say no to Lance’s puppy eyes.  She also can’t deny that’s he’s right.  But it’s mostly the puppy dog eyes.

 

The Hub is a favorite haunt of Skye’s.  The music is good, the drinks are strong, and there are always interesting people to dance with.  Lance signals the bartender for a round as soon as they enter and before Skye knows it, a bottle is being pressed into her hand and she’s being led towards the throng of people hanging out by the dancefloor. 

Lance immediately pulls Bobbi through the crowd to dance and Skye kind of wishes she weren’t always the third wheel.  Occasionally, Wanda or Raina will come out with them, but more often than not, it’s just the three of them and Skye finds herself being ignored.  Again. 

Sometimes she wishes she were still the kind of girl for one night stands, just so she wouldn’t feel so out of place on nights like this.  But, alas, she grew out of that a couple of years ago when the idea of monogamy ceased scaring the shit out of her.  Draining the remainder of her beer, Skye heads back towards the bar, shuffling her way between warm bodies.

Placing her empty bottle on the bar, Skye lifts her finger at the closest bartender who nods in acknowledgment and slides another beer her way.  Skye hands him a bill, indicating to keep the change, before turning to face the dancefloor once more, leaning back against the bar.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

Skye groans internally.  That infuriatingly proper, lilting British accent is seriously the last thing she wants to hear tonight.

“Hello, Jemma.” 

She turns with a snarky comment on the tip of her tongue, but the breath is stolen from her lungs as soon as she catches sight of her teammate.  Skye is accustomed to seeing Jemma in her soccer kit, dripping sweat from running up the down the pitch.  At the moment, she is wearing a skin tight red dress that ends halfway down her thighs and her chestnut locks are free from their usual ponytail and brushing the tops of her shoulders.  Skye suddenly feels very underdressed in her flannel and snapback.

“Well, don’t sound so excited to see me.”

Jemma’s voice breaks through the fog clouding Skye’s mind and she shakes off the shock of seeing Jemma in something other than a jersey and shorts.  An easy smirk slides across her lips and she props herself up against the bar.

“What brings a lady like you into a bar like this?”

A breathy chuckle escapes Jemma’s lips and she steps into Skye’s personal space.

“Is that the line you use on all your girls?”

Skye shrugs, the alcohol in her system making her more confident.  Or stupid.  She isn’t sure which.

“That depends.  Is it working?”

Jemma reaches out and brushes her fingers against Skye’s as she pulls the beer bottle from her grasp and takes a long swig, grimacing slightly at the taste.  She returns it to Skye with a coy smile.

“Buy a girl a drink and we can talk.”

Skye is honestly a little impressed with how well Jemma is handling herself, but she figures the forward probably has a couple of drinks in her already, judging by the pink flush coloring her cheeks.  She shoots the girl at her side one more lopsided smile before turning to the bar and motioning to the bartender.  A woman comes to the bar this time and Skye watches the admittedly attractive blonde’s eyes take in her outfit before winking and leaning over the bar, giving Skye a clear view down her top. 

“What can I get for you, cutie?”

Skye hears Jemma snort behind her but ignores her.

“I’ll have another beer and a double rum and coke for the lady.”

The sultry smirk disappears from the bartender’s face and she frowns as she turns to prepare the drinks.  She sets the drinks down harder than necessary and takes Skye’s money without a word.  Skye shrugs off the cold treatment and hands Jemma her beverage.

“Why didn’t you ask her for her number?  She was obviously interested in you.”  Jemma sips at her drink, gazing up at Skye with questioning eyes.

“Why would I hit on someone when I’m already buying a drink for a pretty girl?”

Jemma blushes and Skye tries not to acknowledge how cute she thinks it is.  She really has no idea why she is flirting with Jemma.  She only knows that she wants to make her smile and blush again.  And that she wants to rip that dress off of her.

“So, this may be totally unwelcome, but do you want to dance?”  Skye kind of hates herself for how off her game is, but Jemma’s ass looks really great in that dress and Skye will hate herself even more if she doesn’t try.

“Sure. I love this song.”

Skye just nods and takes Jemma’s hand to lead her to the crowded dance floor.  She isn’t prepared for Jemma to turn around and grind her ass into Skye’s crotch.  She feels rather than hears Jemma chuckle lowly at her reaction.  Rather than allow the forward to claim the upper hand, Skye presses closer to Jemma and wraps an arm around the shorter girl’s middle until every inch of their bodies is touching.

Jemma arches into her and lets out a shuddering sigh into the sweaty skin of Skye’s neck.  Skye continues to move with Jemma to the dull thudding of the bass.  She lets her hands come down to skim along Jemma’s sides, caressing her slim waist, down to her hips to grip tightly.

“Skye.”

The word is gasped into Skye’s skin and she knows she’s not the only one getting worked up. Skye can feel her underwear sticking to her and there’s a dull throbbing in her core that’s becoming harder and harder to ignore.

She can feel Jemma’s lips brushing against the skin of her neck each time the other woman moves and she’s pretty sure she’s being slowly driven insane by the sensation.  They dance until they’re both out of breath and by then, it’s time for them to be going if they’re going to make it to practice in the morning.

“Walk me home?”

Skye nods breathlessly, because how could her answer be anything else?

 

“Oh my god, Skye…”

Jemma’s head is thrown back against Skye’s pillow and her hips are jerking along with the steady rhythm of Skye’s fingers.  Skye can’t get over how tight and wet the woman under her is.

When Jemma had invited Skye up to her apartment for a drink following Skye walking her home from the bar, Skye (mostly) thought she would have a glass of wine and bid her teammate goodnight.  However, as soon as the front door had closed behind the duo, Skye had been shoved against the hard surface and Jemma lips had found her own.  Clothes were shed and now Jemma is moaning Skye’s name and her back is arching off the bed as her muscles flutter around Skye’s fingers.

She comes back to herself a few seconds later and suddenly Skye is the one on her back as Jemma trails kisses down her abdomen.

 

“Holy shit.”

Skye collapses bonelessly beside Jemma following round whatever number they’re on and tries to catch her breath.

“Indeed,” is the only word Jemma utters before she curls into Skye’s side, burying her face in the taller woman’s neck.

Skye only hesitates a moment before she wraps her arms around her teammate and pulls her closer.  She knows she should be finding her clothes and heading back to her own place, however the warmth of Jemma’s body and the smell of her shampoo mingling with the musky scent of their sexcapades are doing funny things to Skye’s brain and she’d really rather do anything other than leave the bed.  So, Skye pushes her insecurities aside, tightens her arms around Jemma, and allows herself to drift off to sleep.

 

Skye knows she and Jemma should just forget that they’ve ever seen each other naked outside of the locker room and go back to being strictly teammates.  However, that is not what happens.  At all.

They try to have a conversation about it, but that only ends up with Jemma riding Skye’s fingers on her living room couch.  The third time, they fuck on the rug in Jemma’s bedroom and Skye ends up with carpet burns to compliment the healing scratch marks along her shoulder blades.

They’re playing with fire, Skye knows, but she can’t bring herself to care.

 

 

Jemma ends up at Skye’s apartment following practice late one evening.  Skye had invited the other woman over when Bobbi had decided to spend the night at Lance’s for once.

They’re in Skye’s bed and she’s moaning out praises to Jemma’s tongue when the bedroom door swings open and there is a third voice in the room.

“Oh my god!” Bobbi stands frozen in the doorway, her eyes wide and jaw slack.

Skye tries to close her thighs and whacks Jemma in the head with her knees.  The forward squeals and rolls off the bed in pain.  Thankfully, Jemma is mostly clothed and Skye wraps herself in her sheets before scrambling to help the other woman up from the bedroom floor.

“Jemma!  I’m so sorry!”  She examines the shorter woman’s face for any sign of injury.  “Are you alright?”

Jemma’s face is bright red from embarrassment and her chin and cheeks are still… damp from their previous activities.  Previous activities that still have Skye feeling rather unresolved.  She pulls the sheet tighter around her body and does her best to push the throbbing between her legs to the back of her mind.

“I’m okay, but I should probably be getting home.  I’ll leave you two to talk.”

It’s then that Skye realizes that Bobbi’s still in the room gaping like a goldfish. 

“I forgot my contact solution.  I heard moaning and thought you were sick.  I can’t unsee anything.”

Skye sighs, because of all the times for Bobbi to not knock, and helps Jemma find her shirt and shoes before sending her on her way with a kiss on the cheek.

 

“When I said you needed to get laid, I didn’t mean to fuck your teammate!”

“Well, you should’ve specified that.”

“I didn’t think I had to!”

“In my defense,” Skye begins before taking a long pull from her water, “Coulson said that we should bond with her.”

Bobbi scoffs.  “Yeah, well, that didn’t mean to bond your tongue to her vagina.”

“I mostly used my fingers, actually.”

“Skye!” Bobbi exclaims with a smack to her roommate’s shoulder.  “Gross!  I don’t need to know the specifics of your sex life.”

Skye shrugs and sinks onto the sofa beside Bobbi.  “You’re the one who brought it up.”

“So was it just a one-time thing?” Bobbi asks hesitantly.

“Um,” Skye combs her fingers through her hair nervously.  “More like a four-time thing,” she mumbles quietly.

“Excuse me?” Bobbi’s eyes flash in disbelief.

“What you walked in on wasn’t the first time we’ve had sex.”

“Are you insane?  Coulson will kill you when he finds out.”

“ _If_ he finds out,” Skye corrects.  “We weren’t really planning on telling anyone.”

Bobbi is silent for a long moment before she speaks again.  “Well?”

“Well what?”

“Are you going to keep sleeping with her?” Bobbi asks like it’s the most obvious question in the world.

“Honestly?” Skye questions and continues at Bobbi’s nod.  “The sex is really, really good.  Like, probably the best I’ve ever had, good, and I’m playing so much better and she’s been more relaxed and it’s mutually beneficial so… Really nothing short of you telling me that she has herpes is going to stop me.  She doesn’t, by the way.”

Bobbi rolls her eyes in disgust.  “Whatever.  It’s your funeral.”

“You’re not going to tell anyone?”  Skye eyes Bobbi anxiously, hoping she can count on her friend to keep her secret.

Sighing in exasperation, Bobbi pats Skye’s knee.  “I’ll keep my mouth shut, but don’t expect me to bail you out when it blows up in your face.”

Skye hugs Bobbi as hard as she can.

 

Skye doesn’t stop sleeping with Jemma.  They mostly use Jemma’s apartment for their… activities.  Partially because Jemma lives alone, but mostly because Bobbi is being surprisingly cool regarding the whole situation and Skye really doesn’t want to press her luck more than she already has.

When they’re not tangled up in Jemma’s sheets, Skye finds the forward is quickly becoming a friend.  Skye learns that Jemma’s freaky smart and that she somehow managed to double major in biology and chemistry at Oxford while maintaining a 4.0 and playing soccer.  She also learns the other woman is an only child and that her parents wanted her to pursue medicine rather than soccer.

“So, what do your parents think of your career choice now when they come to your games?”

The soft smile slips from Jemma’s face and she lifts her head out of Skye’s lap to sit up beside her on the overstuffed sofa.

“They’ve never been to one of my games, actually.”

“Seriously?” Skye knows she doesn’t have parents of her own to compare to Jemma’s, but having a daughter who plays a professional sport seems like a pretty big deal to her.

“They always thought it was a pipe dream.  Now that I’m playing professionally, they think I’m not thinking realistically about my future.”  She shrugs.  “Maybe they’re right, but I’m doing what I love.  I’ve never regretted my choice for a second.”

“I’m sorry, Jemma.”  Skye is a little surprised that she actually means it.

“I’m used to it.  I keep thinking with each tournament I play in, with each game I win, that they might actually be proud of me, but I guess that’s the real pipe dream.”  She sighs and blinks away the emotion from hazel eyes.  “So, what does your family think about your profession?”

Skye considers lying, but Jemma’s already laid her soul bare, so Skye thinks it’s only fair if she returns the favor.

“Well, considering I consider my team my family, they’re pretty cool with it.  If you’re asking about the people who raised me, you’d have to go back to St. Agnes and ask the nuns there.  Or to the string of foster parents I stayed with until the home decided I was unadoptable.”

Skye expects to see pity swimming in Jemma’s eyes when she looks up from the hands to meet the other woman’s gaze.  Instead she finds pride reflected back at her.

“And look where you are now.”

“Usually the reaction is, ‘Oh you poor dear’ when I tell that story,” Skye chuckles.

“Why would I pity you when you’ve taken everything life has thrown at you in stride and made a success of yourself?  You followed you dream and now you’re a professional athlete.  You’re a role model to children who are in the same situation right now.  There’s nothing to pity about that.”

Skye has no response other than to pin Jemma to the couch and kiss her senseless.  They don’t talk anymore that night.

 

 

 

The first time Skye concedes that what she feels for Jemma goes deeper than friendship and sex, they’re on the pitch in the middle of a particularly brutal game against the Phoenix Hydra.  The other team’s defensive line is made up of tall, muscular brutes of women and they’re not afraid to let things get physical.  Worse yet, the officials have neglected to call several obvious fouls made against the Shield.  Skye herself has already been brought down unfairly twice, the second time just barely managing not to roll her ankle.  She knows it’s a disaster waiting to happen and she’s honestly surprised no one has been seriously injured yet.

The Shield is on the attack in Hydra territory when it happens.  Skye sends the ball to Natasha who quickly crosses it into the box where Jemma has cleverly positioned herself.  The goalkeeper is off her line and Skye can see, even from where she is, that it’s an easy shot for Jemma.  Jemma steps towards the ball, her left foot trailing to deliver the kick when one of the massive defenders barrels into her and suddenly she’s lying on the pitch, unmoving.

Skye doesn’t realize she’s running until she’s almost at Jemma’s side and is dropping to her knees on the turf, laying her hand on her teammate’s back.  She can vaguely hear the offending player arguing with the ref who is waving a yellow card at her and ordering her to cool down.  Her attention snaps back to Jemma when she hears a weak groan and sees the woman on the ground roll over onto her back.

“Jem- Jem are you okay?  Talk to me.  Please.”

Jemma blinks slowly before her eyes seem to focus on Skye and she takes a deep breath.  “I’m okay.  I don’t think I’m hurt.”

Fitz, one of the Shield’s trainers, arrives then, dropping his bag beside the duo before kneeling down to examine Jemma.  “That was a hell of a hit, Simmons.  How are you feeling?” He asks as he pokes and prods at the woman’s ribs and joints, checking for injuries.

“I’m fine.  Just slightly winded.”  Jemma grimaces as she moves to sit up and Skye’s hand immediately moves to her teammate’s back to help.  “Did I earn a penalty kick?”

“Well, obviously,” Fitz answers as he stands, his services no longer needed.  “That girl clobbered you.  You’re damn lucky you don’t have any broken bones.”  He hands Jemma a water bottle and Skye hovers, not wanting to leave her side.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Skye asks, offering a hand to help the woman up.  “I can tell Coulson to sub someone in for you if you’re not feeling up to playing anymore.”

Jemma takes the offered hand and grunts as she’s pulled to her feet.  “Don’t be silly.”  She dusts herself off and tightens her ponytail.  “I have a goal to score.”

Before Jemma starts towards the referee, Skye grabs her arm and pulls her close.  “Jem, please be careful.  I really don’t want to see you get hurt.”

A shy grin tugs at the corners of the forward’s lips and she squeezes Skye’s hand.  “You’d better watch it, Skye.  People might start to think you care about me.”  She winks then and gives a wave to the relieved crowd before jogging towards the ball to take her penalty kick.

Skye can’t help but admire Jemma for her courage to keep playing after the incident.  There’s also a part of her that is really worried that Jemma will take another hit.  She knows the forward won’t be getting up if she goes down that hard a second time.  She feels a bit helpless in this situation.  There is no way she can protect Jemma during matches due to her position on the pitch.  She is quite aware that injury is a very real risk in their profession, but right now, she really cannot bear the thought of her… whatever Jemma is, being in pain.  It worries her, how attached she’s becoming to the other woman.

 

They win the game 1-0 on Jemma’s penalty.  The forward rockets the ball into the back of the net high and right, just out of the goalkeeper’s reach.  Skye’s is the first body she leaps at in celebration.  Skye catches her teammate’s weight easily and pulls her close, breathing in the scents of sweat and turf and something that is uniquely Jemma.  The beaming smile on the other woman’s face takes her breath away and she realizes all at once that she is in way over her head.

The team decides to go out to celebrate their win at a local bar that night.  Even May accepts the invitation with an eyeroll and a half smile.  She more than anybody understands how big this win is for the team.

They’ve been at the club for all of thirty minutes and Skye is already half drunk on shots and she’s got an equally tipsy Jemma grinding against her to the beat of the music.  They’re surrounded by their teammates, but Skye only has eyes for the hazel eyed Brit panting against her collarbone.  Bobbi keeps shooting her warning glares, but Skye can’t be bothered with that tonight.  She grips Jemma’s hips and pulls the shorter woman closer to her, reveling at the groan she feels vibrate across her skin.

“You alright there?”

When Jemma meets her gaze, her eyes are much darker than normal.

“I want you.”

“Oh.” 

Skye can’t think of much more to say than that.  It’s not like she can do anything about Jemma’s obvious arousal at the moment.  Leaving now would look much too suspicious, not that they’re doing a very good job at being inconspicuous at the moment, given how Jemma is mere centimeters away from being able to get herself off on Skye’s knee.

Their salvation comes in the form of a fan buying a round of shots for the team.  Instead of heading towards the bar with the other girls, Skye grabs Jemma’s hand and leads her towards the restrooms in the back.

“God, you’re worked up.”

Jemma just squirms against the stall door with a whimper and works her hips against Skye’s fingers, trying to force her inside.  Her cheeks are flushed pink and her head is thrown back against the door and Skye thinks she is beautiful.

“Have you been this wet since we got here?”

Panting as Skye continues to tease her opening, Jemma nods with her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Please.”

“Please what?”

Skye knows she’s being cruel and that she’ll receive the same and more once they’re back in the privacy of Jemma’s apartment, but she’s got a beautiful woman begging her in a dirty club bathroom stall and she really can’t help herself.

“Please fuck me.”

Hearing Jemma curse in that proper British accent does something to Skye’s insides.  It’s a real problem when it happens on the pitch during games, but now it only serves to spur her into action.  She takes Jemma’s bottom lip between her own and swallows the grunt the other woman releases when Skye thrusts two fingers up inside her.

Jemma arches off the door and immediately starts canting her hips into Skye’s hand along with the pace of her thrusting.  While Skye would love to draw this out more than she already has, the girls will be noticing their absence soon, if they haven’t already, and they really do need to spend time bonding as a team.  She crooks her fingers, aiming for that spot that makes Jemma squirm every time she presses against it.  A swipe of Skye’s thumb against the forward’s clit and then Jemma is digging her finger nails into Skye’s shoulder’s and moaning her release into the taller woman’s mouth.

Pressing one more kiss to Jemma’s swollen lips, Skye pulls her teammate’s panties back into place and readjusts her skirt.

“Better?”

Jemma nods wordlessly and allows Skye to drag her back into the club and back to their teammates.  Bobbi glares at them knowingly.  Skye just sticks her tongue out at the keeper.

 

Skye turns over in bed to wrap her arms around Jemma, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck and sighing into the curls at the base of her neck.  Jemma mumbles something in her sleep that Skye doesn’t understand, but she pulls the forward further into her chest all the same.  Her heart aches with the feelings she has for the woman she is holding.

“Be my girlfriend,” is whispered into Skye’s collarbone.

The taller woman jumps slightly, not realizing her bedmate is very much awake.

“Jemma?”

The woman in question turns over in her arms so Skye make out the outline of her features in the darkness.

“I have feelings for you.  I’m quite sure you have them for me as well.  I want to know that you’re mine and I’m yours.  Exclusively.”  She’s quiet for a moment.  “Is that something you want as well?  I haven’t made a fool of myself, have I?”

It’s been a long time since Skye has even considered being in a relationship with someone else.  She used to tell herself that she wasn’t ready, but now when she thinks of her time with Jemma, she can’t think of a good reason to turn the girl down.  Jemma understands her in a way that no one else does.  She knows about Skye’s past, but doesn’t treat her like a victim, isn’t scared off by her baggage like Kara was.  Skye feels like she would do just about anything for that smile, anything to hear her laugh.  Also, the sex is incredible.  Like, toe curling, hair pulling, back scratching, amazing.  Skye is pretty sure she knew her answer the second Jemma asked the question.

“Yes.”

Skye thinks she sees the glint of Jemma’s teeth before her face is peppered by enthusiastic kisses.

“Are you sure I don’t want to push you?” Jemma asks between kissing her on the cheek and nose.

“You aren’t,” Skye assures, pulling the other girl on top of her.  “Like I’d ever turn down a girl as pretty as you.”

Jemma just snuggles into girl beneath her and Skye can feel her girlfriend’s smile against the skin of her neck.  She doesn’t remember ever being this happy.

 

By the end of the season the Los Angeles Shield is second in the league.  It’s a huge turnaround from their last place finish the previous year and the girls couldn’t be happier.  Going into playoffs at all is a huge victory for the team, but going into playoffs as the number two team is something the women never imagined would happen at the beginning of the season.

As for Jemma and Skye’s relationship, things are going better than Skye ever expected them to.  She is not accustomed to feeling this comfortable in a new relationship.  She knows it is probably more due to the fact that they had been sleeping together long before they decided to make it official.

Jemma is everything Skye’s ever wanted in a significant other.  She’s sweet, supportive, funny, and she could probably kick Skye’s ass if she wanted to.  At first, Skye had worried that being committed to Jemma would cause a huge distraction on the field, however, if anything the drive to impress her new girlfriend has Skye playing better than she ever has.  Along with Hill, Hartley, and Maximoff, the back line has become an impenetrable force.

“I could probably go pick flowers and it wouldn’t make a difference,” Bobbi had joked after their last game when the opposing team hadn’t even been able to get a good shot off.

Even more exciting, Jemma is leading in the league for goals scored this season.  May and Natasha aren’t far behind her.  It’s rare that a game goes by without them racking up three or more goals on the other team and Skye knows that they’re more than ready for the quickly approaching playoff games.

 

They meet the Hydra again in their first playoff game.  Though they bested them in their last regular season match, Skye still feels uneasy about this meeting.  She knows the Hydra will be out to avenge their recent loss and that they won’t hesitate to play rough.  She remembers the image of Jemma’s limp form falling to the ground.  She promises herself that she won’t let that happen again.  Jemma’s been working on her speed and strength and she should be able to get past whatever they throw at her.  The only way to best them without endangering their more forward players is to keep up a fast, punishing pace and hope to wear them down.

By the time the first half draws to a close, the Shield is up by one goal.  Skye is pretty sure she’s never been sweatier in her life as she and the rest of her team drag themselves away from the pitch and towards the locker room.  Mumbling a thanks at Fitz when he hands her a water bottle, Skye plops down on the bench between Bobbi and Jemma.  She offers the water to her girlfriend first who drinks deeply for several seconds before wiping her mouth on the back of her hand and returning the bottle with a grateful smile.  Bobbi snatches the water out of her hands then and takes a long drink.

“Thanks for watching my ass out there.  I don’t know what to do with myself now that I’m not having to save all the shots you clowns let through.”

Skye chuckles and bumps her shoulder against her roommate’s.  “Maybe you can start a book club.”

Their giggling is interrupted by Coulson entering the locker room.

“First off, I want to commend you on the season thus far.  We’re up by one in the first playoff game this team has seen.  That’s a pretty big deal.  That being said, we need to keep the pressure up.  This is our one chance to win it all.  There will be next year, but with our foreign players and those considering retirement, I don’t know what the team will look like next year.”

Coulson continues his speech, but Skye is no longer listening.  Foreign players.  Jemma will be going home at the end of the season.

Though they manage to pull out the win, the only thing Skye can think about after the game is Jemma leaving.  Jemma is leaving her.  Just like everyone else. 

 

 

Jemma is furious.  Skye can see the anger swirling in the hazel eyes currently glaring in her direction.  She knows she pushed too hard, but self-destruction is the thing she’s best at.  A sigh of relief escapes her when Jemma huffs and sits on the edge of the bed instead of storming out of the room.

“You want to break up with me?”  Jemma’s voice sounds small and hurt around the question.  “Why?  What have I done?”

“Nothing.  It’s not you.  I just- I’m trying to make it easier.”  Skye shrugs and sits on the edge of the bed a few feet away from Jemma.  The space feels like a mile.

“Make what easier, Skye?”  Jemma’s brows are knit and Skye wishes she could bring herself to kiss the tension away.

“You leaving.  The season is almost over and you’ll be going back to England and long distance relationships just don’t work.”  Skye is proud that she gets it out without choking up like she wants to.

Jemma looks angry again.  “That’s what this is about?  I understand that we’ll be on two different continents, but don’t you think we should try to make this work?  Don’t you think we’re worth it?  I love you, Skye.”

Skye winces the moment the L word comes out and Jemma must see it because her face turns to stone.  “Tell me what this is really about.”

Skye sighs.  “How do you know we would work when you go back to England?  How do I know you won’t get tired of me not being around and find someone else?  I can’t go through this again.  I won’t.”

“Do you really think so little of me?”  Jemma’s voice is low and dangerous and Skye would be turned on by it if it weren’t so terrifying.  “I’m not some cheap plaything you can sneak around with when I’m in the country and toss aside when I leave!”

“Jemma that’s not-”

“No, you don’t get to talk right now.”  Jemma chuckles and stands from the bed to cross the room and look out the window.  “You know, Coulson offered me a spot on the team for next season.  I was going to take it.”

Skye feels like someone punched her in the stomach.  She tries to say something, anything, but all she can do is gape wordlessly at the other woman.

“I was going to pick up my life and move here for you, Skye.  I wanted to be with you because I thought you wanted me, too.  I’m so stupid.”

Skye comes to stand behind her, but Jemma ducks out of her reach.

“You’re so full of shit, you know that, Skye?  You told me that nobody has ever been there for you and that you feel so alone, but you know what?  You’ve done that to yourself.  Anyone who tries to get close you push away.  Why?” Jemma asks with angry tears trailing down her cheeks.

Skye’s hands are shaking.  Never has anyone called her out for what she is.  She can see in Jemma’s eyes that her girlfriend already regrets her words, but the hurt Skye is trying to push down all comes bubbling up.

“Fuck you, Jemma.  Just- fuck you.”

She doesn’t wait to see Jemma’s reaction before she’s out the door and headed back to her own apartment.

 

Practices are definitely awkward following the implosion of Skye’s relationship, however she and Jemma manage to avoid each other completely while maintaining their professionalism.  Skye knows it was idiotic to break up with her girlfriend so close to the final match, but she really didn’t want to draw out her own suffering.

Still, the heartache she feels is almost overpowering.  The intensity of the need she has for the other woman is unlike anything she’s experienced before.  She wants nothing more than to run back to Jemma and grovel on her hands and knees for a second chance, however the wounds inflicted by her words are still too fresh in her mind.  And even with their final argument in mind, Skye still misses Jemma.  Misses her laugh, her touch, falling asleep in her bed every night.

Bobbi had known as soon as Skye had stumbled over the threshold blindly with tears dripping down her cheeks.  She didn’t say ‘I told you so’ like Skye kind of expected her to.  She just took Skye in her arms and let her cry.  Lance brought over a handle of whiskey and Skye spent the night sandwiched between her two friends in Bobbi’s bed.

Skye thinks she’s hiding the awkwardness pretty damn well during practice, but apparently she isn’t doing a good enough job because May and Hand corner her in the locker room while she’s lacing up her high tops.  She feels the anxiety rise up inside her when she sees the two veterans standing over her.

“Hello, ladies.  To what do I owe the pleasure?”  She hopes her charm will erase the stern expressions on their faces.  It doesn’t.

“We need to talk, Johnson.  I think you can figure out what it’s about.”  It’s Hand that answers, and while they’re not what Skye would consider close friends, she’s always looked up to the older woman.

Skye decides her only option here is to play dumb.  It’s a stupid idea.  “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Cut the shit, Skye,” Hand growls.  “We’re going to visit the equipment room and you’re going to explain to us what’s going on unless you want me to announce your extracurricular activities to the entire team.”

Skye gulps.  The look in the veteran midfielder’s eyes makes her want to pee herself.  Hand turns on her heel with May following and Skye has no option but to scamper after them like a scolded child.

“Start talking,” May snaps as soon as the door closes behind Skye.

Skye blinks at them wordlessly with furrowed eyebrows.  May rolls her eyes with an exasperated sigh.

“Simmons.  I’m talking about Simmons.  What’s going on between the two of you?”

“Oh.  Well.  I mean-”  She takes a deep breath and tries to organize her thoughts over the pounding of her heart.  “How did you know something was going on with Jemma?”  She tries not to wince at the feel of the girl’s name in her mouth.

Hand chuckles and it kind of terrifies Skye considering the woman is essentially interrogating her right now.  “You think you can show up to practice in the same car with matching hickies without someone finding out?”

Skye feels her face heat up and looks away from the two women she considers mentors.  “I guess we weren’t as careful as we thought.”

“Now that we’ve got that out of the way,” May drawls, “do you mind telling me why you two are ignoring each other on the pitch?”

Skye feels her heart fall into her stomach.  She really doesn’t want to talk about this again, however seeing as she’s trapped in an equipment closet with two very demanding women, she really has no choice.  She sighs in resignation.

“I think we broke up.”  She feels tears beginning to burn at the corners of her eyes and she tries her hardest to keep them from falling.  She will not cry in front of May and Hand.

May’s eyes soften visibly at the confession.  “You think?”

Skye shrugs.  “We said some really nasty things to each other and I left and now we’re not talking anymore.”  She kicks at an imaginary pebble on the ground.  “I’m sorry if it’s affecting the team dynamic.  I’ll try to make it less obvious.”

“What you need to do,” Hand starts, “is fix it.”

Shooting the older woman an incredulous look, Skye shakes her head.  “Did you not hear what I just said?  She won’t talk to me.  And I’m not sure I want to talk to her.”

“Well you’d better start wanting to talk to her because with the way you two are playing right now, there’s no way we’ll win the championship game.”

Skye gapes at her.  “What do you expect me to do?”

May is the one who answers the question.  “You’re the one who couldn’t keep it in your pants.  You figure it out.  Don’t let your team down.”

And with that, the two women exit the closet, leaving a hopelessly confused Skye behind.

 

Skye doesn’t talk to Jemma.  She does try.  Several times.  But every time she meets those sad hazel eyes, her mouth goes dry and she can’t bring herself to say the words she wants to let out so badly.  _I’m sorry.  Please forgive me.  Don’t leave._   She’s a coward and she hates herself for it.

She makes an effort to pass the ball to Jemma more and their performance does improve.  They’re back to playing like they were before the breakup and for that, Skye is relieved.  She doesn’t think she could handle the guilt of costing her team a championship they’ve worked so hard for just because she couldn’t deal with her personal problems.

She learns from Fitz (she bribes him with a six pack of Foster’s) that Jemma is still officially considering Coulson’s offer to stay with the Shield but that she’d told him in confidence that she was planning on heading back to England following the end of the season.  This news hits Skye like a punch to the gut.  Even though they’re not speaking at the moment, Skye’s grown accustomed to seeing Jemma on a daily basis.  She doesn’t know what she’ll do if that changes.  Suddenly the need to makeup with her (ex?) girlfriend becomes stronger than ever and Skye starts planning.

Unfortunately, the upcoming final against the Rising Tide monopolizes most of her time and she’s not able to get Jemma alone before they’re boarding their flight and jetting off to the east coast.

 

Skye is holding the league championship trophy, but all she can think of is Jemma.  She knows she needs to apologize, to make amends for the things she said in the heat of the moment, but her tongue feels heavy in her mouth and her legs are like lead and she’s not sure she can approach Jemma even if she wants to.  Skye can see her.  Jemma is smiling too brightly at her teammates and avoiding Skye’s gaze. Skye wants nothing more than to walk up to the shorter woman and kiss her until she can’t breathe, can’t remember the awful words they hurled at one another.  Kiss her until she forgives Skye.

“Oh, hello Skye.”

Skye doesn’t realize she’s moved until she’s standing right in front of Jemma.  Her fingers play with the hem of her jersey and her throat is suddenly too tight to speak.  The hopeful expression on Jemma’s face gives way to disappointed annoyance when Skye remains silent.  Lips pursed, she turns on her heel to leave but is stopped by a hand on her elbow.

“Jemma, wait. Please,” she adds when she catches sight of the shorter woman’s arched eyebrows.

“I’m sorry.  I just- I’m really sorry.”

Jemma crosses her arms and Skye winces.  This is not going the way she had it planned in her head.

“Is that all? Is that all you have to say for yourself?”

Skye breathes in deeply and steels herself.

“Please stay.”  Jemma opens her mouth to argue but Skye cuts her off.  “I know you haven’t given Coulson an answer and I’m asking you to stay.”

“Why now, Skye?”  Jemma’s voice is no longer angry, but sounds almost defeated instead.

“Because we’ve both been miserable the past week and I didn’t realize how much I would miss you.”

Jemma huffs.  “Let me get this straight.  You expect me to come running back to you just because you’ve missed me?”

“Well, know that you word it like that, it does sound stupid.”  Skye rubs at the sweaty face and sighs.  “Look, Jemma.  When you came into my life, I didn’t even know what I was looking for, what I wanted.  I’m not going to say it was love at first sight, because honestly, I thought you weren’t going to last, but then you wiggled your way into my thoughts and then my bed and now I can’t imagine my life without you.  I love you, Jemma.”

Jemma’s mouth promptly falls open in shock.  “I’m going to ignore that comment about your first impression of me.  Skye,” she breathes her name like it’s a prayer, “you love me?”

Nodding in confirmation is quite possibly the scariest thing Skye’s ever done.  “I do.  Love you, that is.  It’s a little early to be thinking about marriage,” she jokes with an awkward laugh.

Jemma gazes up into Skye’s eyes and Skye’s chest constricts painfully at the contact.

“Skye, I really want to say I feel the same way, because I do.  I really do, Skye, but how do I know you’re not going to push me away again?  I don’t think I can handle that.”

Grinning lopsidedly at Jemma, because, wow, Jemma just admitted to loving her back after everything that was said, Skye reaches inside the collar of her shirt and digs a small package out of her sports bra.  Jemma looks on confused as Skye pulls the sweaty tissue paper off of the object in her hand.

“I thought you might say that, so I have a present for you.  Now, please don’t feel obligated to accept, but promise me you’ll think about it.”

She hands the object to Jemma and waits eagerly for her reaction.

“It’s a key.”  Jemma furrows her eyebrows at Skye.  “But don’t you live with Bobbi, wouldn’t that be awkward?”

“I’m not asking you to move in.  I don’t think we’re ready for that.  But I do want you to have a key to my place and maybe you could give me one to yours?  I know it probably doesn’t feel like a big thing to you, but this is me committing to you.  I don’t want to hide anymore.  I want the world to know that I’m with the most beautiful girl in the world and that I love her.  So, Jemma, will you be my girlfriend, again?”

Jemma’s eyes are glassy and her bottom lip is trembling like she wants to cry.  Skye braces herself because she knows this could go either way.

“I don’t think I ever stopped being your girlfriend.”  She smiles and a tear leaks out of the corner of her eye and spills down her cheek.  “I’m so sorry for the things I said to you, Skye.”

Skye grins and feels herself tearing up.  “I kind of deserved it.”

“No, you really didn’t.”  Jemma moves closer and wraps her arms around Skye’s neck.  “I love you, too.”

Feeling like her heart is going to burst out of her chest at any second, Skye reciprocates the embrace and presses her lips to Jemma’s, for once not caring who may be watching.  She can hear her teammates wolf whistling and cheering around them, but she ignores them and deepens the kiss instead.  She pulls away when the need for oxygen becomes too much and rests her forehead against Jemma’s so she can gaze into her girlfriend’s eyes.

“So, does this mean you’ll stay?”

Jemma rolls her eyes with a watery chuckle.  “Of course I’ll stay.  I don’t think I could leave you even if I wanted to.”

Skye pulls Jemma closer to her and nods at Hand’s approving smirk over Jemma’s shoulder.  Lacing her fingers with the forward’s, she pulls Jemma along with her to the center of the pitch where the rest of the team is celebrating.  They’ve all seen the exchange, so Skye is not surprised in the least when Natasha shouts, “Way to pull your head out of your ass, Johnson!” as soon as the pair nears the group of women.

Bobbi just grins at her and wraps her in a sweaty hug.  She thinks May might smile at her, but she can’t be sure.  The postgame ceremony is a blur in Skye’s mind, the only memory being the medal around her neck and Jemma’s hand in her own.

Soon enough, they’re back in the locker room and soaked to the bone in champagne.  The floor and their skin are sticky, but the team is delirious with victory.  Skye sees Jemma standing by the lockers, talking to Raina.  She presses up against her girlfriend’s back and kisses the salty and alcohol tasting skin of the forward’s neck before wrapping her arms around Jemma’s middle and resting her chin on the shorter woman’s shoulder.

“You played a good game out there today, Raina,” she compliments the woman who is watching the pair with an amused smile on her face.

“As did you, Johnson.  I was just telling your girl how awesome her goal in the sixty-third minute was.  Textbook.”

Skye smiles as she feels pride well up inside her and squeezes the girl in her arms a little tighter.  “We’re lucky to have her.”

Raina excuses herself then and Jemma turns in Skye’s arms so she can press a quick kiss to Skye’s waiting lips.

“I love you,” she whispers in Skye’s ear before she pulls away.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing that.  Listen, the girls are all planning on getting dressed up and going out to celebrate.  I think we should join them.”

“Oh.”  Jemma’s smile drops slightly.  “Well, I was really hoping you and I would have a little time to ourselves, if you catch my drift.”

Skye smirks and waggles her eyebrows.  “I catch it.  That’s why I was going to suggest we shower at your place.”

“I like the way you think, Ms. Johnson.  Let’s get out of here before anyone notices.”

And as Skye is dragged from the locker room by her giggling girlfriend, she can’t help but think that this feels better than any championship ever could.


End file.
